Engine misfire leads to degradation in engine performance. Furthermore, it can lead to unburned fuel leaving the engine in exhaust gases. A catalytic converter is often provided to reduce the amount of pollutants in exhaust gases, and part of the function of the catalytic converter is to induce combustion of unburned fuels on a surface of the catalytic converter. Hence, if appreciable amounts of unburned fuel are present in the exhaust gases, the catalytic converter will overheat, and can be rapidly destroyed.
Hence, it would be desirable to provide improved engine misfire detection methods and corresponding apparatus.